Baby Bonus

• 1. Why was the Baby Bonus cash gift enhanced?

  The Baby Bonus Scheme, comprising the cash gift and the Child Development Account, aims to support couples in their parenthood decisions and defray the costs of having children. 
  
  Parents currently utilise a range of care options during the child's infancy (first 18 months), from centre-based infant care to informal caregiving arrangements. To better support parents with out-of-pocket caregiving expenses during this period, the Government will enhance the Baby Bonus Cash Gift by providing a Baby Bonus Plus of $2,000 cash. This will be disbursed between 12th to 18th months after the child's birth (in comparison, the existing Cash Gift is only disbursed within the first 12 months of birth). The enhanced Baby Bonus Cash Gift (inclusive of the Baby Bonus Plus) will provide more sustained support to parents during the child's infancy. 
  
  To send a strong signal of Government support for larger families, the enhanced Baby Bonus Cash Gift (i.e. inclusive of Baby Bonus Plus) will be extended to fifth and higher birth-order children, up from the first four birth-orders. This enhancement will provide additional support for married couples who have more children, by helping them defray out-of-pocket child-raising costs.

• 2. Who is eligible for the enhanced Baby Bonus cash gift (inclusive of the Baby Bonus Plus)?

  A child is eligible for the enhanced cash gift if he/she meets the following criteria:

  1. Born¹ on or after 1 January 2015, or has an estimated date of delivery (EDD)² on or after 1 January 2015;
  2. Singapore Citizen or becomes a Singapore Citizen³; and
  3. The child's parents are lawfully married.

  ¹Baby Bonus is not applicable to stillbirths.

  ²If your child's EDD was on or after 1 January 2015, parents can write to MSF(msf_babybonus@msf.gov.sg) with a scanned copy of doctor's certification on the EDD. The doctor's certification shall include the following details:

  • EDD;
  • Mother's name and NRIC;
  • Name of clinic; and
  • Doctor's signature

  ³The amount of cash gift may be pro-rated if both parents are not Singaporeans at the point of the child's birth. The pro-rated amount will depend on the date that the child becomes a Singapore Citizen. MSF will inform parents of the amounts from Jan 2016.

• 3. How do I join the Baby Bonus scheme?

  Parents / prospective parents can complete the online registration at babybonus.msf.gov.sg to join the scheme. This can be done as early as 2 months before the estimated delivery date

• 4. I am an overseas Singaporean parent. Is my child eligible for the Baby Bonus and how can I apply?

  If either you or your spouse is a Singapore Citizen at the time of your child's birth, your child will be eligible for the full amount of Baby Bonus benefits after your child becomes a citizen. You can join the scheme by registering online at babybonus.msf.gov.sg.
  
  If you and your spouse are not Singapore Citizens at the time of your child's birth, your child must obtain Singapore Citizenship before he/she reaches 24 months of age in order to be eligible for the cash gift. The Baby Bonus benefits will be pro-rated according to the date your child obtains Singapore Citizenship. MSF will inform parents of the amounts from Jan 2016.

• 5. How will the cash gift (including the Baby Bonus Plus) be given out?

  The cash gift (including the Baby Bonus Plus) is given out in 5 instalments over 18 months following the child's birth:

  Enhanced cash gift and disbursement schedule
  (For children born on or after 1 Jan 2015)

  Time	Amount of cash gift disbursed
  	First and Second Birth Orders	Third and Subsequent Birth Orders
  Within 7 to 10 days after joining the scheme	$3,000	$4,000
  When the child turns 6 months old	$1,500	$2,000
  When the child turns 12 months old	$1,500	$2,000
  New Baby Bonus Plus When the child turns 15 months old	$1,000	$1,000
  New Baby Bonus Plus When the child turns 18 months old	$1,000	$1,000
  Total	$8,000	$10,000

  
  

  Children born prior to 1 Jan 2015 will receive the Baby Bonus cash gift in three tranches – within 7 to 10 days after joining the scheme, when the child turns 6 months old and when the child turns 12 months old. For more details, please refer to the Baby Bonus FAQs at http://www.babybonus.msf.gov.sg. 

• 6. Would parents have to return the Baby Bonus benefits that have already been disbursed to them in the following circumstances: (i) If the mother was lawfully married to the father, but divorced subsequently; (ii) If the child passes away subsequently.

  (i) No. Any remaining cash gift will be credited into the bank account of the parent or person granted the custody, care and control or care and control of the child under an order of court.
  
  (ii) No. If there are any cash gifts outstanding, the remaining balance will be given to the bank account holder in one lump sum. The child's CDA, if any, will also be closed; The remaining CDA balances will be transferred to the Public Trustee for disbursement according to the Interstate Succession Act or Syariah Law.

• 7. How is birth order determined? Are non-Singapore Citizen children / step children / still births counted in the birth order?

  The birth order is pegged to the number of children born alive to the mother or adopted by the mother.
  
  For a child who is born (or adopted, if applicable) on or after 13 July 2015, and the parents had a stillbirth earlier, the stillborn will be counted in the birth order.
  
  Step children, non-citizen children and children given up for adoption are not counted in the birth order.

• 8. How are twins and triplets counted in terms of birth order?

  Twins and triplets (and other multiple births) are counted as separate births. For e.g. the first twin is considered as the first child and the second twin as the second child.

• 9. What will be the Baby Bonus entitlement for my child, who has just obtained Singapore Citizenship?

  If either parent is not a Singapore citizen citizen at the time of the child's birth, he/she will be eligible the full Baby Bonus benefits. He/she must obtain the Singapore citizenship citizenship and join the scheme before he/she reaches 12 years of age.
  
  If both parents are not Singapore citizens at the time of the child's birth, he/she will be eligible for pro-rated benefits.
  
  He/she must obtain citizenship before 24 months of age in order to be eligible for the cash gift, and before 12 years of age in order to be eligible for the CDA. The amount of pro-ration will depend on the date that the child becomes a Singapore citizen. MSF will inform parents of the amounts from Jan 2016.

• 10. What happens to the calculation of the birth order when a child passes away?

  The deceased child is still counted in the birth order when there are subsequent children born to the couple.

• 11. Are adopted children eligible for the enhanced Baby Bonus and Baby Bonus Plus? What is the amount of benefits that a child will receive if he/she is adopted?

  Adopted children are eligible for the enhanced Baby Bonus cash gift if they meet all the following criteria :

  1. born and adopted on or after 1 January 2015;
  2. is a Singapore Citizen at the time of his adoption or becomes one ; and
  3. the adoptive parents are lawfully married at the time of the child's adoption (i.e., when the adoptive parents obtain the Adoption Order). Note that children adopted by widows, widowers or divorcees are also eligible.

  If a non-Singaporean child is adopted, the benefits will be pro-rated according to the age when the child converts to Singapore Citizenship

• 12. Is it necessary to make a deposit to open a CDA?

  No, a deposit is not necessary. The CDA does not require any minimum balance at any point of time. There will be no bank charges even if there is no money in the CDA.

• 13. it compulsory to top up savings in the CDA to the specified cap once the CDA is opened?

  No, there is no such requirement. It is up to you to make savings based on your needs. However, you are encouraged to save into the CDA to benefit from the Government's matching contribution. Do note, however, that interest earned is not considered as a contribution and will not be matched. Contributions above the specified cap (i.e. $6,000 each for the 1st and 2nd child, $12,000 each for the 3rd and 4th, and $18,000 each for the 5th and subsequent child) will also not be matched. If your child is born on or after 1 Jan 2006, you will have up to 31 Dec of the year he/she turns 12 to save into the CDA.

• 14. What can I use the savings in the CDA for?

  The money may be used on all your children, even those without a CDA, to pay for their child development needs at Approved Institutions (AIs) that have registered with MSF under the Baby Bonus Scheme. These include:

  • Child care centres
  • Kindergartens and special education schools registered with the Ministry of Education (MOE) or Council for Private Education (CPE)
  • Early intervention programmes registered with the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) or Centre for Enabled Living (CEL)
  • Healthcare institutions licensed under the Private Hospitals and Medical Clinics (PHMC) Act
  • Premiums for MediShield or Medisave-approved private integrated plans
  • Pharmacies licensed by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) for the purchase of approved healthcare items
  • Optical shops registered with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) for the purchase of approved optical appliances
  • Providers of assistive devices

  Please note that the funds cannot be withdrawn in cash. Withdrawals from the CDA can only be made via interbank GIRO or NETS at Approved Institutions (AIs) only:

  1. Payment via interbank GIRO: For payments via interbank GIRO, please enquire with your AI. You will need to fill up an application form to use interbank GIRO for the CDA and submit it to your AI.
  2. Payment via NETS: The bank you opened the CDA with will issue you a Baby Bonus NETS Card. While you can use this card to make NETS payments at AIs from your child's CDA, it cannot be used to make payments at other places, or to withdraw cash at ATMs.

• 15. What happens to the CDA at the end of my child's 12th year?

  The CDA will be closed, and any unused CDA funds will be transferred to the Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA). For more information on the PSEA, please refer to:
   www.moe.gov.sg/initiatives/post-secondary-education-account.

For more information on the Baby Bonus Scheme, please visit: www.babybonus.msf.gov.sg.